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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Woooo! This was twisty! I don’t think I really saw anything coming. I had a literal jaw drop moment (or two). I had fun with this one and found it quite entertaining. I enjoyed the procedural elements as they weren’t TOO procedural. Plus, Poppy was just great. Overall I liked but didn’t love but would finitely recommend!
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mr first Alex Finlay book was a smash success; I couldn’t stop listening. This plot was so intricate, the characters were so complex and flushed out, and none of the turns were expected (for me at least).
The audio production was great - this story had every opportunity to be too hard to follow while listening. But the cast of characters and the constant reminders of which city we were in was immensely helpful in keeping all the details and storylines straight.
I will say, I was not a huge fan of how the friends/high schoolers were written. They were supposed to be older but acted very childish, this wasn’t a huge factor to the negative but it did briefly take me out of the story. Just as the nickname for one of the characters (Pinky Man) also really started to grate on me after a while. This seemed a little childish to me as well, and almost funny, which didn’t match the tone of the rest of the book. But these are small things I got over quickly.
My jaw *dropped* at the end of part one. And I absolutely loved who flawlessly pieces slowly (and sometimes abruptly) fell into place. It was brilliant. I REALLY enjoyed the ending, it tumbled downhill quickly and tied most everything together, but I did feel myself asking a few more questions and being left wanting a bit more of the “after” of some of the characters.
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I devoured this one in one day because I didn't want to put it down. We read from the perspectives of: Ryan (the missing girl's boyfriend), Poppy (the new local sheriff), the Mobster, his accountant and one of his associates. The multiple POV keeps you on your toes. Finlay does a great job of building the suspense and dropping the plot twists at just the right moment! I found myself hurting for everyone, even the mobster. I reallyappreciated the theme of bullying being something very serious.
If Something Happens to Me is a must read thriller!
Thank you so much, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the digital review copy!
If Something Happens to Me is a must read thriller!
Thank you so much, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the digital review copy!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder
mysterious
tense
I have been in the mood for a really good thriller and this one was full of intriguing characters and lots of twists.
I was intimidated by all of the characters at first, but thanks to the multi-cast narration it was really easy to differentiate the perspectives. Multi-cast narration is my favorite! The narrators did an excellent job bringing the characters to life.
For as many directions as this book pulls you in, it really came together so well for the ending.
I loved the fast pacing and short chapters that made this book a fast read. I was slightly underwhelmed with the ending. For everything we went through I found it a little abrupt. Nothing is left unanswered but I would have preferred to have had a little more about Michael’s daughter.
I still absolutely recommend to all my thriller lovers!
Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read an advance copy of If Something Happens To Me.
I was intimidated by all of the characters at first, but thanks to the multi-cast narration it was really easy to differentiate the perspectives. Multi-cast narration is my favorite! The narrators did an excellent job bringing the characters to life.
For as many directions as this book pulls you in, it really came together so well for the ending.
I loved the fast pacing and short chapters that made this book a fast read. I was slightly underwhelmed with the ending. For everything we went through I found it a little abrupt. Nothing is left unanswered but I would have preferred to have had a little more about Michael’s daughter.
I still absolutely recommend to all my thriller lovers!
Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read an advance copy of If Something Happens To Me.
~ AAC provided by NetGalley in my honest opinion ~
THIS WAS JUST OK FOR ME. DON’T GET ME WRONG IT WAS FAST PACED, ENJOYABLE & THE NARRATOR WAS GOOD. IT JUST FELL A LITTLE SHORT FOR ME. IT WILL DEFINITELY FIND IT’S HOME WITH OTHER THRILLER READERS.
THIS WAS JUST OK FOR ME. DON’T GET ME WRONG IT WAS FAST PACED, ENJOYABLE & THE NARRATOR WAS GOOD. IT JUST FELL A LITTLE SHORT FOR ME. IT WILL DEFINITELY FIND IT’S HOME WITH OTHER THRILLER READERS.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked this one ok. I figured out pretty much the whole mystery by about 50% of the book, which was frustrating because it made the back half drag while the first half went quickly. I think if you haven't figured it out, then the pacing is probably not so frustrating … but the plot generally lost steam overall. The chapters are short and quick.
I really liked Poppy the Deputy Sheriff but Ryan was intermittently sympathetic and frustrating. I felt bad for the way he was living in the wake of the mysterious disappearance of his high school sweetheart, but I also thought some of his actions were unrealistic and rash. The bad guys were sometimes sympathetic, which I appreciated because they're so often portrayed as 100% awful and I think that's probably not the case for most people.
I wish the ciphers had been more a part of the book. The cryptic note was such a compelling part of the premise but they were pretty minimal in the plot overall. To be fair, I think at this point I see cipher and expect something Da Vinci Code-esque, so that's on me.
This one has some sensitive topics, so please check trigger warnings if there are topics you prefer to avoid.
I really liked Poppy the Deputy Sheriff but Ryan was intermittently sympathetic and frustrating. I felt bad for the way he was living in the wake of the mysterious disappearance of his high school sweetheart, but I also thought some of his actions were unrealistic and rash. The bad guys were sometimes sympathetic, which I appreciated because they're so often portrayed as 100% awful and I think that's probably not the case for most people.
I wish the ciphers had been more a part of the book. The cryptic note was such a compelling part of the premise but they were pretty minimal in the plot overall. To be fair, I think at this point I see cipher and expect something Da Vinci Code-esque, so that's on me.
This one has some sensitive topics, so please check trigger warnings if there are topics you prefer to avoid.
A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Gun violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC!
This book was WILD. I feel like it was up and going right from the beginning. I love a good detective thriller. I was NOT expecting anything that happened in this book. It had me on the edge of my seat, turning pages just to see what was coming next. The characters were likable, with the exception of the bad guys, obviously. The way the story came together in the end, was insane. I’ll admit that I spent most of the time a bit confused as to what things had to do with some others, but it all came together so nicely and made sense at the end. This book teaches you to TRUST NO ONE. Not even those you think are out to help you. Such good action, a lot of suspense, and too many twists to count. Extremely well written, fantastic plot, and great characters. Overall a fantastic read.
This book was WILD. I feel like it was up and going right from the beginning. I love a good detective thriller. I was NOT expecting anything that happened in this book. It had me on the edge of my seat, turning pages just to see what was coming next. The characters were likable, with the exception of the bad guys, obviously. The way the story came together in the end, was insane. I’ll admit that I spent most of the time a bit confused as to what things had to do with some others, but it all came together so nicely and made sense at the end. This book teaches you to TRUST NO ONE. Not even those you think are out to help you. Such good action, a lot of suspense, and too many twists to count. Extremely well written, fantastic plot, and great characters. Overall a fantastic read.
Five years ago, Ali has been abducted while Ryan was pulled from the car on Lover's Lane and knocked out unconscious. Nor Ali or the car have been seen since then. Ryan has tried so hard to put the past behind him, changing his name to run away from the podcasters and the Internet trolls, but while in Italy on a trip with his law-school classmates he gets a call from his dad: the car is found at the bottom of the lake, with two male bodies in the front seats and an envelope that says "If something happens to me..." in Ali's handwriting.
This mystery/thriller was very predictable but an entertaining and quick read. However, so many things don't make sense, making the characters come across as stupid. A dad asks his daughter to reach out to the new kid in school, because he's the son of his shady new client, and thinks "It's not like his son has anything to do with his father's business, right? My daughter will be safe." Said no dad ever... It was fast paced with short chapters, which I liked.
I received an advance copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This mystery/thriller was very predictable but an entertaining and quick read. However, so many things don't make sense, making the characters come across as stupid. A dad asks his daughter to reach out to the new kid in school, because he's the son of his shady new client, and thinks "It's not like his son has anything to do with his father's business, right? My daughter will be safe." Said no dad ever... It was fast paced with short chapters, which I liked.
I received an advance copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.